Subcaliber, armor piercing penetrator projectile

Abstract

An improved subcaliber fin-stabilized penetrator projectile of an equal diameter along its whole cylindrical length which is made of a high density, ductile, heavy metal. The herein described penetrator has a steel ballistic hood coaxially mounted on the front end thereof and a plurality of frontal cores mounted one behind the other in an axial direction behind said ballistic hood, and a main penetrator core arranged behind the frontal cores. Detachably connected to said ballistic hood and extending from said hood to the frontal region of the main penetrator core is a cylindrical casing of heavy metal having a smooth external surface and an outer diameter which is equal to the outer diameter of the main penetrator core. The plurality of frontal cores are partially mounted in said cylindrical casing, and partially in said ballistic hood. The main penetrator core of the projectile has a cylindrical front end extension of smaller diameter with which the casing is rigidly attached, a transition piece and a frustoconical stem. The frontal cores are equal in diameter and have an axially centered bore and a recess, and have rear faces and front faces. The ballistic hood is detachably mounted and holds a plurality of said frontal cores together against one another inside said casing in a play-free manner, with the frontal cores inner surfaces snugly fitted against the outside surface of the stem, and said cores outer surfaces snugly fitted against the inner surface of the said casing.

We claim: 
     
       1. An improved subcaliber fin-stabilized penetrator projectile of equal diameter along the whole length of its cylindrical shape and consisting of high density ductile heavy metal, selected from the group consisting of depleted uranium or a sintered alloy with high percentage of depleted uranium or tungsten, the latter in the range of 90-98%, which has a steel ballistic hood coaxially mounted on the front end thereof and a plurality of frontal cores mounted one behind the other in an axial direction behind said ballistic hood, and a main penetrator core arranged behind said frontal cores; a cylindrical casing of said heavy metal having a smooth external surface being operatively detachably connected to said ballistic hood and extending from said hood to a frontal region of the main penetrator core and whose outer diameter is equal to the outer diameter of the main penetrator core, said plurality of frontal cores being operatively mounted partially in said cylindrical casing and partially in said ballistic hood, the improvement comprising in combination the main penetrator core having a cylindricl front end extension of smaller diameter with which the casing is rigidly attached;   a transition piece attached to said front end extension whose frustoconical surface is tapered towards its frontal portion;   a frustoconical stem tapered towards its frontal portion attached to said transition piece;   the frontal cores are equal in diameter and have an axially centered bore and recess corresponding with the diameter of the circumference of said stem;   the frontal cores having, on the rearward side, frustoconical rear faces each with a rearward opening frustoconical surface of equal slope;   said frontal cores, with the exception of the fore-most frontal core, as well as the transition piece on the front end extension of the main penetrator core, having the same slope on the front of each frustoconical surface of the front frustoconical face as on the frustoconical rear face;   the foremost core element having a part spherically formed front face;   the ballistic hood arranged near the fore-most frontal core being screwlike detachably mounted and holding a plurality of said frontal cores together against one another inside said casing in a play-free manner, with the frontal cores inner surfaces snugly fitted against the outside surface of the stem, and said cores outer surfaces snugly fitted against the inner surface of the said casing.   
     
     
       2. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the fore-most positioned frontal core has a frustoconical surface on its front surface which abuts the inner sursface of the ballistic hood. 
     
     
       3. A projectile according to claim 2, wherein the rear faces and front faces have spherically rounded edge surfaces. 
     
     
       4. A projectile according to claim 3, wherein the front end extension of the main penetrator core is screw type detachably mounted to the main penetrator core. 
     
     
       5. A projectile according to claim 4, wherein the front end extension rearwardly has a rounded section which extends to a circular edge having the properties of a cutting edge.